The Perfect, Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe

You will love this recipe because it is EASY, doesn’t need to be chilled, the cookies easily holds their shape & the baked cookies freeze well! These are going to be your go-to sugar cookies! You can make these for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day and so much more!

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup unsalted butter226 grams
  • 1 Cup granulated white sugar200 grams
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups all purpose flour360 grams

 

Instructions

1. PREHEAT oven to 350° F.
2. In the bowl of your mixer, butter and sugar until smooth (about 3 minutes or more)
3. Beat in extracts and egg.
4. In a separate bowl, mix baking powder and salt with flour and add a little at a time to the wet ingredients.
5. If the dough looks crumbly, keep mixing for at least 30 more seconds. The dough should be pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
6. If the dough still looks too dry or stiff for your mixer, turn out the dough onto a countertop surface, flour surface as needed. Wet your hands and finish off kneading the dough by hand.
7. **DO NOT CHILL THE DOUGH.** Divide into workable batches (2-3 chunks), roll out onto a floured surface, and cut. You want these cookies to be on the thicker side (closer to 1/4 inch rather than 1/8).
8. Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet until firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack.
FAQ
  • What should the texture feel like?
    • The final dough really comes together and has a texture close to Play-Doh.
  • How do I know if the butter is ready?
    • Butter should be room temperature (it’s usually ready after about 10-15 minutes of sitting out). If you can press your finger into the butter and easily make a deep indent then the butter is too soft. Cutting the butter into cubes can make it easy for mixing!
  • Can I skip the almond extract?
    • Yes! Just use vanilla extract instead!